Chris proposed to me by reading me a letter he wrote based on my favorite scripture verse, Phil 4:4-9.  This line of scripture opens with this statement:

Think about these things whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

This line of scripture over the years turned into a prayer method that I use at specific moments of my life.
Moments such as:

• When the abundance of God’s gifts is overwhelming me and my heart is to the point of bursting.  I turn to God with my own litany of thanksgiving for the gifts of my life.
• When life is tough and feels dark, and I need to remind myself of the gifts of my life so I can see God’s light.  It helps me get unstuck.
• When I am questioning if I am making a difference, I write a litany of thanks naming the ways I’ve seen God at work in my ministry and in the lives of people I accompany.  Naming God’s work is a way of pushing back the evil one tempting me into feeling spreading the Good News is impossible.

No matter where you might be right now, I can think of no better week for us to write our own litany of gratitude than Thanksgiving week. In many ways, it’s like looking at the Psalms we talked about last week and creating your own Psalm of praise. So that’s your challenge this week, to pick up a pen and write your litany of gratitude.

At your table on Thanksgiving day, your family and friends could sing out your collective litany of gratitude by letting each person name what they are thankful for aloud or by writing it on a piece of paper.

And last but not least, let us not forget the words penned by St. Ignatius called the Prayer of Generosity that invites us to turn the generosity of God into action in our own lives.

Download a printable Prayer of Generosity prayer card here.

• Go Deeper?
  • Video: GRATEFUL: A Love Song to the World
  • Read: My 2011 Litany of Gratitude series sharing people in my life who bring me joy
  • Read: The Gratitude List
  • Read: Litany of Gratitude for Ignatian Tools

• Registration is now open for the Online Busy Person’s Retreat, January 14-17, 2019
• November 30-December 2, 2018: Santa Clara Faith Formation Conference
• December 6, 2018:  Diocese of Joliet Day of Reflection for Directors of Religious Education
• December 11, 2018:  Women of the Well Evening of Reflection
• December 16, 2018:  St. Margaret’s Theology in a Bottle, Albany, LA “Spirituality of a Busy Person”